102 NICARAGUA. 



In that hacienda, there were large plantations of cacao 

 trees and plantains. On the ripe fruit of the last plants, and on 

 the mangoes, I collected many fine and rare species of insects. 



It was delightful to ramble about the plantations of this 

 fine property. All kinds of fruit-trees were to be seen, 

 Orange, Lemon, Mauo^o, Plantain, several species of Sapote 

 and others, but the most interesting was the Cacao tree 

 (TJieobroma) , or God-food. The Cacao tree (Theobroma 

 cacao) , belongs to the genus of dicotyledonous plants of the 

 order Bythneriaceae. The tree somewhat resembles the 

 cherry, and is found in all tropical America, and has been 

 imported to other countries. Several species are known. 



The fruit is contained in a ligneous casing, usually five to 

 eight inches long, and of a bright yellow or scarlet colour, 

 when fresh and ripe. It turns to a dark brown after being^ 

 cut. The seeds are about the size of a large bean, rufous and 

 enveloped in a pulp of the consistence of butter. Dried they 

 are, consumed in the country or sent to Europe for the 

 manufacture of the well-known chocolate. It is one of the 

 principal articles of exportation of America. The well-known 

 Parisian firm of Menier consumes daily 40,000 pound which 

 means a yearly average of FOURTEEN MILLIONS OF POUNDS ! ! 

 Its actual value being about two shillings per pounds, it 

 represents the enormous total of one million^ four himdred^ 

 and fourty-four thousand pounds sterling! And yet four 

 hundred years ago, it was quite unknown to Europeans. Long- 

 before the discovery of America by Columbus, the Indians 

 cultivated the trees which produce this fruit. 



Mexican tradition mentions Quetzalcoatl d.sÛ\(i introducer 

 of the tree in that country, from where it was successively 

 exported to Central and South America. 



The tree was called by the Mexicans Cacaboaquaitl and 

 the fruit Cacahoatl. With the seeds they made a beverage 

 called Chocolatl from which the name of Chocolate is derived. 



This beverage was universally used by the Mexicans, but 

 the best sorts of seeds were reserved for their kings, princes, 

 and celebrated warriors. In many countries, the seeds were,. 

 and are still, the current money, and are received in payment 

 for other commodities. In Mexico the taxes were usually paid 

 with these seeds, and it has been written that when Fernand 

 Cortez entered that city, he found in one storehouse, forty 

 thousand large baskets of cacao seeds. 



For a long time, the Spaniards did nothing with them,. 

 and even in Spain, up to 1728, it was scarcely known. 



